Bound to Fate
by AlphaAura
Summary: After having competed in the Kalos League in which he placed first but beaten by the first of the Elite Four, Ash returns home in Pallet Town for a break for him and his pokemon. But when Professor Oak tells him of a recent discovery, things start to change. And when a deadly disaster is predicted to happen soon, will Ash survive it all or is he, and the world, fated to perish?
1. Chapter 1: A Shocking Discovery at Home

**Alright, AlphaAura is ba- *smack!***

**Ouch...okay, maybe I deserved that. But having a week full of finals, getting ready for a university interview, and suffering a writer's block kinda destroyed my thinking ability. So as a result, my other fanfic, Controller of Chaos, is put on hold. Sorry.**

**In the meantime, a new idea for a story decided to pop into my head! And I personally believe that this has much more potential. I don't know what inspired me to get this down but all I know is that some ideas I thought of just smashed together into one.**

**Without further ado, I give you 'Bound to Fate'!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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><p><strong>Summary: <strong>After having competed in the Kalos League in which he placed first but beaten by the first of the Elite Four when given the chance to battle them, Ash returns home in Pallet Town for a break for him and his pokemon. But when Professor Oak tells him of a recent discovery, things start to change. And when a legendary disaster that could end the world is predicted to happen soon, will Ash be able to survive it all or is he, and the rest of the world, fated to perish?

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 1: A Shocking Dicscovery at Home<strong>

Ash Ketchum, winner, but not champion, of the Kalos League, was traveling by plane to his home, Pallet Town. Resting in his lap was his best friend and starter pokemon, Pikachu. He was sleeping peacefully, having nothing else to do on an airplane.

To his right was Serena, a childhood friend back when he was younger. He had met her during Professor Oak's Summer Camp. She had hurt her leg when she was startled by a Poliwag and Ash came and helped her by using his hankerchief to bandage her wound and leading her out of the forest.

It was the same day Serena started to have feelings for him. Now, her feelings are much stronger because of her confession before the start of the Kalos League.

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><p>Flashback:<p>

Ash was getting ready to battle in the preliminary rounds of the Kalos League. It was time he won a pokemon league and he couldn't have felt happier that he was facing the Kalos League which was known for being more difficult than the other leagues. He was trying to choose his Kalos pokemon team for the matches when Serena walked over to him.

"H-Hey Ash," she said nervously. She needed to know one thing before she let loose her confession.

"Hey Serena!" Ash greeted happily. "What brings you here? I thought you were showing Bonnie around."

"I asked Clemont if he could do that," Serena replied. "I came to ask you something."

"I'm all ears! What did you want to ask me?" Serena shuffled her feet nervously.

"When you finish this league, where will you go?" She wondered if he'll go home to Pallet Town without her. Her crush on him did not allow that possibility. Ash was in thought.

"I'll probably go back to Pallet Town." Serena felt depressed when she heard him say that. "But I think I'll stop by your home for a while."

Serena's eyes widened. He was going to stay with her for a while before going home?! She had wished ghis ever since they started traveling together and now it was being granted!

"R-Really?!" she exclaimed. Her eyes welled up with tears. Impulsively, she hugged Ash, feeling tears of joy run down her face. "I'm glad...I'm so glad."

Ash was in complete shock. "S-Serena?" Her hug sent warm feelings in his chest. Because he was dense, he couldn't describe the feeling. But he did seem to like them.

"I was worried you'd leave me," Serena said, still hugging Ash. "I was so sad when I left you when we were little. I didn't want the same to happen again when you leave me."

The feelings in Ash's chest raced up to his head. Suddenly, he felt like a part of his brain had been unlocked. He started seeing flashbacks one after another, starting from his first encounter with Serena as kids, then the goodbyes they exchanged when she left, then the reunion after his defeat by Viola, and many more, all of them involving him and Serena. He then remembered what Miette, a pokepuff baker, had said to him once.

"Hey Ash, do you have someone to take care of you?" she had said. He didn't understand what she was talking about. But now, he understood. When he started his journey, he didn't pay attention to love because he had a clear goal, to become a Pokemon Master, in mind and he thought love would hold him back. However, he now realized that love could help or hinder depending on the significant other. All Serena had done for him was help him reach his goal.

Even though he hadn't experienced anything of being in a relationship, he somehow knew what to do. Ash returned the hug.

"I won't leave you, Serena." It was then and there that he decided to be with her. Serena was shocked when he said, "And I never will." She slowly broke the hug and looked directly into Ash's eyes. She could see the gentleness behind them. When she heard him say that last part, she knew it was time to confess. She wiped her tears.

"A-Ash, ever since we met when we were little, you were special to me." As she confessed, Ash didn't look away. He listened to every word and not once did he dare interrupt her. "When I left for Kalos with my mom, I couldn't stay happy. I was missing a piecethat formed my happiness and that piece was you. When you arrived in Kalos and I saw you on television during the Garchomp incident, I felt complete. Even though I didn't have a goal in mind, I set off so I could see you again. You had a dream since you were little so I believed you could help me find mine. I also wished that we could be better, as more than just friends. You helped me when nobody did during our first meeting and I grew feelings for you, a crush. But while you traveled with me through Kalos, those fellings became stronger." Serena took a deep breath. Her confession gave her the confidence and courage to say what she had been wanting to say for a long time. "Ash Ketchum, I love you."

She waited for his response. She got none. Instead, she got something better. A kiss. On the lips. By Ash himself. Serena was so happy that she thought she was standing on cloud nine. She probably was. They held the kiss for about half a minute and then broke off. Both Ash and Serena were blushing but were smiling at each other.

"With all of my determination, heart, and strength," he spoke, "I will win the Kalos League for you Serena. Every match I have will be dedicated to you. Because I love you too."

They embraced each other once more, unable to be apart from each other anymore.

-Flashback End-

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><p>The memory made Serena smile. Ash kept his promise, defeating every challenger he faced during the Kalos League. He was so determined that he lost only two of his pokemon during the finals. And when he was given the chance to battle the Elite Four, he accepted and was actually able to defeat three of the first Elite Four's pokemon before he lost. And best of all, he dedicated all his battles to her and his pokemon. She couldn't have asked for anything better.<p>

Ash was happy to go back home. After visiting Serena's house and getting the green light for their relationship and Serena's wish to go with him from Grace, Serena's mother, they left for Lumiose Airport. Clemont and Bonnie had to stay behind. Their home was there in Lumiose City and Clemont wanted to become the gym leader of the Lumiose Gym again. They both thanked Ash and Serena for a wonderful journey and Ash and Serena promised to visit someday.

The plane arrived in Saffron City. Serena was worried about the long distance from Pallet Town. Ash told her to wait while he called for an old friend. He smiled at hwr to reassure her that all will be okay. Five minites later, he came back with a pokeball in his hands.

"Serena, this will be our transportation," he said. "Charizard, come on out!" In a bright flash of white, a very powerful looking Charizard stood, expanding his wings to full length. He turned to Ash and immediately sent a flamethrower to his face. Serena gasped and was very concerned. Ash just coughed out smoke. His face was burnt and covered in soot. "Old habits die hard eh, Charizard?" He roared in agreement. "Can you fly us to Pallet?"

Charizard snorted as if saying: _Please, that's too easy. You owe me a challenge when we get there._

After a few hours of flying, Ash and Serena finally arrived in Pallet Town. It was a small, peaceful town with scenery to boot. It was home to Ash, winner of the Kalos League, Gary Oak, pokemon researcher, Professor Oak, famous Pokemon professor, and Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother and probably the nicest human being in the world. (That is, unless you get on her bad side, which is extremely rare) Ash was considered the 'Pride of Pallet Town' for his achievements and it attracted a lot of visitors from all over the Kanto region.

As Ash and Serena walked through the town, people from all around congratulated Ash on winning the Kalos League. Serena could hear the whispers of 'strong' and 'handsome' directed at Ash and 'girlfriend?' and 'beautiful' at her. Ash was too busy greeting and thanking people while Serena blushed at the whispers.

They arrived at Ash's house. Ash was so nostalgic that he just ran up and opened the door and yelled, "Mom, I'm home!" There were rushed footsteps coming from the stairs and very soon, Delia Ketchum was looking at her son and noticed Serena behind him. Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and into Delia's arms.

"Pika!" he said, feeling the warm love sent from the mere contact of skin. Delia smiled and scratched Pikachu's ears, earning a coo of delight.

Ash frowned. "Aw, Pikachu. I was the one to hug mom first!" Serena giggled. Pikachu hopped off and Ash and his him embraced each other. To Serena, it was one of the most heartwarming scenes she has ever seen. "Mom, I'm home," Ash said in a hushed voice.

Delia fought back tears. "I know, dear. My baby boy has finally come back home." Ash blushed in embarassment but shook it off. Delia broke the hug and looked at Serena. "Ash, who's this?"

Ash smiled. "Mom, this is Serena. We met when we were little. Do you remember her?"

"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum," Serena greeted. She remembered her when she was little and was very happy to see her again.

"Pleased to see you, Serena. And please, call me Delia," Delia replied. "You're the girl that Ash helped in the forest years ago, right?"

"Right! You do remember me!" Serena said in delight.

"Of course I do, sweetie. A friend of Ash's is family to me."

"Great! Ash didn't remember me at all when we met each other in the Kalos region." Ash sweatdropped. Delia held back a giggle.

"That's my baby all right. Reckless and forgetful, yet gentle and caring."

"I know!" Serena agreed. Ash realized that they could talk about him all day and he wanted to see Professor Oak and his pokemon again.

"Hey Serena, do you want to see Professor Oak again?" Ash asked. "And my entire pokemon team?"

"Sure Ash!" Serena beamed. "I'll see you soon, Delia!"

Delia smiled. "Come back soon. Dinner's almost ready."

"We will, mom!" Ash replied. "I can't wait to try your cooking again!"

"Ash, Professor Oak and your pokemon first, remember?" Serena chided. Ash sweatdropped.

"Oh, uh, right! See you later, mom!"

Delia smiled as she watched Serena and Ash make their way towards the lab. "My baby boy has grown up."

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><p>Ash and Serena arrived at the lab and met Professor Oak. He congratulated Ash on his win in the Kalos League and, like Delia, he remembered Serena. While they talked about their lives, Ash and Pikachu went outside to the ranch. As soon as they did, Pikachu ran into the distance. Ash looked confused. He heard a distant <em>'Pika!'<em>

Then there was rumbling. Ash could see a cloud of dust behind all the pokemon that were running towards him. He was happy to see them again but his happiness turned into fear when they got nearer. He was not looking forward to being trampled by a horde of his own pokemon. He tried to make a run for it but Charizard popped out of his pokeball and held him in place.

Charizard smiled as if saying, _Oh no you don't. Face them you coward. _Before all the pokemon ran into them, Charizard flew up, leaving Ash as the sole designated target.

A painful reunion...

About half an hour later, all the pokemon were now talking with Ash's Kalos pokemon. Ash himself looked like he needed a trip to the pokemon center. He shook out of his daze and went back inside to the lab. He wanted a nice conversation with Professor Oak and Serena, but the professor had something else in mind to talk about.

"Ash, my boy, you have already seen how Mega Evolution works, right?"

"Right! It's so cool!" Ash replied. Serena nodded in agreement.

"What if I told you that a new discovery had been made?"

"What?! Really?" Ash exclaimed, his eyes wide. He knew discoveries were rare and most of them are usually region specific.

"What's the discovery?" Serena asked. She, too, was intrigued.

"Many professors research the bonds between pokemon and humans," Professor Oak started, "but a recent discovery found that a special bond exists."

"Special bond?" Ash asked.

"Right. However, this 'special bond' only exists between certain pokemon and certain humans."

"So it's specific?" Serena asked.

"Correct. More reseaech is underway but we have found one 'special bond' so far."

"Who has the bond, Professor Oak?"

"And which pokemon does he or she share the bond with?" Ash asked.

"Do not be too surprised," Professor Oak warned. "It was a discovery we professors couldn't shake off for a long time." Ash and Serena leaned in closer, eager to hear the discovery. Professor Oak took a deep breath. He looked at Ash.

"The person who has this 'special bond' is your father, Red, and he shares the bond with the Legendary Pokemon, Mew."

Pure silence. Professor Oak's warning had no effect whatsoever. While Serena was surprised about the bond with Mew, Ash was surprised by the mention of his father. Serena was the first to break the silence.

"Is the 'special bond' similar to the bonds we share with our pokemon?" she asked. Professor Oak shook his head.

"No, my dear, it is completely different. The bonds you share with your pokemon are nothing but love and friendship. However, these 'special bonds' join the souls of the human and pokemon together into one. If one were to perish, the other will follow unless they bond again within a limited time period." Ash finally broke out of his silent trance.

"So they can bond with anyone?" he asked. Hearing his father having a 'special bond' made him wonder if he had one as well.

"No," Professor Oak replied. "There are special requirements but research hasn't gone that far yet." Ash was disappointed but he had one last question and he desperately needed the answer to it.

"How do you know my father has the bond?" he asked, his voice small. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. Professor Oak was silent for a while before answering.

"After many years of absence, he appeared during a meeting with all the regions' professors. He said that he had a discovery to share and a warning to tell. He gave us the details of the 'special bond' but the warning he told us was terrifying."

"What warning?" Serena asked. Professor Oak sighed before continuing.

"He told us that a disaster like never before will cause chaos to the world. This disaster will test the 'special bonds' but the worst part of his warning..." Professor Oak stopped, obviously not wanting to finish the sentence.

"What professor? What's the worst part?" Ash asked. A part of him didn't want to hear it but curiosity won. Professor Oak continued, albeit pale.

"Survival is not guaranteed. The disaster will cause death."

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><p>Meanwhile...<p>

A tall man with a red overcoat walked along a hidden path in an unknown forest. On his shoulder was his faithful Pikachu and floating beside him was the Origin Pokemon Mew. The man, whose name is Red, looked up to the sky above. The sun was setting and the stars were starting to appear.

"I have warned them of what is to come," he spoke. "Will they stand up to the challenge or will they perish by giving up?"

A gentle breeze made the hair sticking out of his red cap sway. This was the calm before the storm. And the storm was deadly. Survival is not guaranteed, even for him.

"Ash, my son, you are destined with a bond like no other. However, you are a part of the disaster that is coming. I cannot guarantee your survival. Your survival depends on the choices you make. Choose them wisely, my son."

And with that, he, his Pikachu, and Mew vanished. There was no trace of them at all, as if they were never there.

The storm, a deadly disaster like no other, is approaching. Will they survive or are they fated to perish?

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><p><strong>There, much better if I do say so myself. Just a few things to clear out:<strong>

**If you're wondering where Tracey was when Ash and Serena entered the lab, in this fic, he's back in the Orange Islands on a journey as a Pokemon watcher to gain more information on pokemon (habitats, behavior, etc.)**

**I personally favor Amourshipping. The other ships are okay but with Serena's canon crush and her and Ash's history together (childhood), Amourshipping takes the cake for me. Hopefully I did good enough for you guys with the flashback moment! :)**

**There, all cleared out. Thanks for reading. Hopefully this story's better. (Update times will be further apart and random. My school life is beyond comprehension, so bear with me!)**

**Next Chapter: The Bond of Balance**

**Have a comment? Need a question answered? Then click the heck out of that review button down there! (Flames will be put out with an extinguisher)**

**That's it for now. AlphaAura is signing out!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Bond of Balance

**I, AlphaAura, am back with another chapter! You know, writing down a few thousand words can be quite exhausting, right? And typing them down, though much faster, is just as exhausing. But enough on my complaining! I have another installment to this story!**

**I'd like to thank those who have read, favorited, followed, and reviewed. It brings me joy that my story is well received and that in turn makes me determined to keep the story going!**

**Some afterthoughts to those that reviewed:**

**Guest (1): My fic is slightly AU so Red is Ash's father. I know he is Ash's game counterpart but if you think about it, if Red was Ash's father, their traits are similar, 'like father, like son.' Hope that answers your question!**

**Guest (2): Thanks! You wish has been granted! The next chapter is here!**

**aboz567: Thank you. Your review is much appreciated. And I hope you follow through my story!**

**Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: I didn't know my writing of Serena's confession was that good, thanks! The next chapter is here to be read and reviewed!**

**Four things to point out:**

**1. This chapter will have my first battle scene (quite short). I'm not very good at battles yet so I hope that what I have is enough. And I'll explain the battle in more detail in the author's note at the bottom like I always do.**

**2. I am not very good at describing my own OCs so it may take a while for me to get better at it. I didn't think thinking of names and attires for OCs could be so difficult...**

**3. The first chapter stated that death can happen. And it's true with the plot I have planned out. That's why a part of this story's genre is 'Tragedy'. The deaths may include character deaths so be warned. (Rating is T, I won't add very gruesome scenes or detailed scenes involving blood. That stuff gives me the shivers...*shiver*)**

**4. Ash will be much stronger as a pokemon trainer than the anime. I mean, if he lost the leagues prior to Kalos (5 in total I think), then he should put all those losses to even more stronger training. And so, in the fic, his pokemon are strong enough to win a league (and he did, winning the Kalos League in this fic). He will also be more serious and not so dense (he needs to for the story to flow).**

**Okay, enough of this top author's note. It's time to read Chapter 2 of Bound to Fate!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. I only own this story and my OCs.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Bond of Balance and Disaster Strikes<strong>

The stadium audience was roaring in excitement when Ash lost his second pokemon, Greninja, to the last pokemon, Vivillon, that belonged to his final opponent, June Sullivan from Lumiose City.

"Return. You did awesome. Now take a good long rest," Ash said. He looked at the scoreboard. He had three pokemon left while his opponent, June, had only one left and it was on the field, pretty worn out from the fight against his Greninja. He turned to Pikachu. "You ready buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu ran to the field. His cheeks sparked.

"Are both trainers ready?" the referee asked. Ash and June nodded. "Pikachu versus Vivillon, battle begin!"

"Alright Vivillon, let's start with Gust! Make it hard for that Pikachu to stay on the ground!" June commanded.

Ash smiled at Pikachu. "Remember our battle with Viola?" Pikachu nodded with a smirk. "Alright, use your tail to ground yourself!"

As Vivillon used Gust, Pikachu struck his tail into the ground, rendering Gust useless as Pikachu kept to the ground.

"Not bad but let's see if your Pikachu can handle sleep! Vivillon, use Sleep Powder!" Vivillon sent a cloud of green spores at Pikachu. Ash remembered how Viola used it during his rematch and got lucky that Pikachu was able to use Electro Ball on himself before surrenderin to sleep. But here, June's Vivillon is stonger than Viola's so her Vivillon's Sleep Powder can knock out Pikachu quickly. He looked at the field for a strategy to counter because trying to get away from the large cloud of spores will make Pikachu vulnerable to other attacks.

One thing caught his eye: Pikachu's tail in the ground. Ash smiled as he thought of a counterattack.

Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the ground below you to send sand towards the Sleep Powder!" Pikachu complied. His tail glowed as it turned into steel and struck the ground at an angle, sending a barrage of sand at the Sleep Powder.

Not only did it negate the attack, but it also flew towards Vivillon who didn't anticipate the counterattack. It was hit by the sand and was temporarily blinded by the sand in its eyes.

"Vivillon, no!" June shouted.

"Now's our chance! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

"Pika..." Pikachu's cheeks sparked dangerously before-"CHUUU!" A bolt of lightning raced towards the blinded Vivillon.

"Dodge it!" June exclaimed. But Vivillon couldn't see where the Thunderbolt was coming from so it was too slow to dodge. It lit up yellow as the super effective attack hit it. When the thunderbolt stopped, Vivillon fell in a spiral down towards the ground. A cloud of dust covered it when it hit the ground. It had spirals in its eyes.

The referee raised a flag. "Vivillon is unable to battle, Pikachu wins. Because June Sullivan has no usable pokemon left, the winner of this match and Kalos League goes to Ash Ketchum!"

The audience went wild with applause. Pikachu ran towards Ash while June returned her Vivillon. Both she and Ash walked towards the center of the field and shook hands.

"That was one of the best battles I've had," June said. "Thanks."

"Same here June," Ash agreed.

"You are an extremely talented and strong trainer, taking three of my pokemon with your first and two more with your second. Very impressive!" Ash smiled.

"I trained my pokemon to their fullest and believed in them. I could tell you did too. I wish you good luck on your future leagues!"

"Thanks! And congrats on your win!" June said before walking away, leaving Ash and Pikachu in the midst of the roaring crowd. Ash turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, we finally won our first major league!"

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu said, sharing the happiness of his trainer.

Ash couldn't hold his excitement any longer. He jumped up in joy and yelled, "We did it!"

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><p>Ash woke up from the memory. It made him smile. He saw Serena sleeping peacefully on his bed. He remembered that his mom wanted Serena to sleep in the guest room but she declined and instead wanted to sleeo in his room. His mom accepted but told him to sleep on the couch (guest room was for guests only), but Serena asked if Ash could sleep with her in the same room. Delia allowed it on one condition: that Ash sleeps on the floor. She said she wasn't ready for grandchildren and that caused both Ash and Serena to blush heavily. And following her conditions, Ash slept on the floor while Serena slept on his bed.<p>

Last night's dinner was more of a party than a regular family dinner. It was a celebration dinner for Ash's win in the Kalos League. If you combine Ash's excitement, appetite, hungry stomach, and a dinner party loaded with food...well, let's just say that the outcome was quite a mess (to which Serena only giggled at Ash's table manners. She had seen him eat time and time again, from day one to now).

Deciding not to wake Serena, Ash quietly changed clothes in the bathroom and got ready for a brand new day. He glanced at a nearby clock. It read 7:35 AM. He was surprised. He usually slept in until 10 and that's when Pikachu becomes his painful alarm clock.

By painful, he meant an-Iron-Tail-to-the-face painful.

Since he was quite resistant to electrical attacks thanks to Pikachu, thunderbolts didn't wake him up anymore. So Pikachu had to use an alternative and that happened to be his Iron Tail attack.

The first time he used the move to wake Ash up, even though he toned town his attack to minimum levels, when he smacked Ash's face with an Iron Tail, not only did Ash wake up, but he also had a significantly noticeable bruise in the shape of Pikachu's tail.

The only thing that Ash said was, "Ouch..."

During the course of the morning, Ash and Serena were at the ranch where Ash told Serena about his pokemon from other regions. Serena was amazed at the wide variety of pokemon, each having unique traits that were region specific.

There was much more to talk about but Professor Oak had come out and told them to see him in the lab. He had important details on the 'special bonds'. When they arrived inside the lab, Professor Oak was ready to talk.

"What's up Professor Oak?" Ash asked. "Any new findings on those bonds?"

"Actually yes," Professor Oak replied, nodding his head. "Recent research just came by and the details state that the bonds can be formed if the person's aspects are similar to that of the pokemon in question."

"A person's aspects?" Serena wondered.

"Emotions, personality, and even physical or environmental attributes are part of a person's aspects, my dear," Professor Oak explained. "With this data, we have a potential suspect that could have a 'special bond'."

"Really? Who could it be?" Ash asked in wonder. Serena was just as curious. Professor Oak cleared his throat before continuing.

"Ash, you should know her. Serena, have you heard of a girl named Leaf?"

"Leaf?" Serena asked.

_I know her? _Ash thought.

"She started her pokemon journey just a year before you did, Ash," Professor Oak said. "She is quite special, having achieved something that no one else has ever gotten close to."

"What did she achieve?" Serena asked.

...

"She has completed the entire Kanto Pokedex, minus the Kanto legendaries."

"WHAT?!" both Ash and Serena exclaimed. That was definitely nearly impossible to achieve! Professor Oak looked calm, as if he knew what reactions to expect.

"Also, we believe that she has a special bond with the legendary Pokemon, Lugia."

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><p>Delia and Mr. Mime looked in the direction of Professor Oak's lab when they heard a faint shout that sounded like the word 'what'. They shook their heads, thinking it was the wind, and went back to gardening.<p>

* * *

><p>Professor Oak had spirals in his eyes. He had expected the reactions from Ash and Serena but he did NOT expect how loud they would shout.<p>

He shook off his daze and looked at Ash and Serena who were still too shocked to even blink. "We had suspected her of having a bond and a note from Red confirmed our suspicions."

"How does he know?" Ash asked. He had snapped out of his shock.

"We aren't sure but I believe that these 'special bonds' connect to all those who have bonded but since it is only my assumption, we actually have no idea."

"Oh. Then why is she bonded with Lugia?" Serena asked.

"We believe that her balanced personality must be a key factor," Professor Oak explained. "Lugia is the legendary pokemon that keeps the Legendary Bird pokemon, Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno in balance. And since Leaf has every non-legendary pokemon known in the Kanto region, it means that she keeps her pokemon in balance. Anybody with that many pokemon would have to anyways."

"So she has the Bond of Balance," Serena summed up.

"Whoa...that's so cool!" Ah exclaimed.

"Don't forget the warning, Ash," Professor Oak reminded him. Instantly, both Ash and Serena's expressions turned pale and full of fear. Serena instinctively took hold of Ash's hand.

"What could the disaster be?" Serena fearfully wondered.

"It could be a war, storm, or anything destructive or guaranteed to take lives, but nothing is certain."

Without warning, the ground rumbled, knocking everything on the counters and shelves to the ground. Professor Oak, Ash, and Serena were knocked off their feet. The pokemon outside held their ground but were alarmed. When he rumbling stopped, everything was quiet. Ash, Serena, and Professor Oak got up.

"Is everyone okay?" Ash asked. Professor Oak and Serena nodded. "What was that?! And earthquake?"

"There are no fault lines or pokemon in this area for that," Professor said. "Something must have happened somewhere and the aftershock hit us."

"Ash! Come here quickly!" Serena shouted. Her face showed fear. When Ash came to her, she pointed towards the outside of a window. Black smoke was ascending into the sky in the distance. Ash gasped.

"That's coming from the direction of Viridian and Pewter City!" he shouted. He was about to go get Charizard and fly over there, more specifically Pewter City to see if Brock was okay. But Professor Oak and Serena held him in place.

"It's too dangerous, my boy!" Professor Oak said.

"I'm not letting you go into danger, Ash!" Serena also said. Ash reluctantly stayed in the lab where Professor Oak turned on the TV hoping for the news and answers to what caused the explosions and rumbles. There was no signal for half an hour before the signal returned.

...

_"This is Kanto News live with devastating news about the recent disaster. We have reports that approximately half an hour ago, all gyms in all cities in Kanto were completely destroyed by what seems to have been a timed explosion. So far, there have been no casualties but all gym leaders and their personnel have been hospitalized. Eyewitnesses say that they say a blinding light in the sky just seconds before the explosion too place and this has been reported in all cities. However, there is no evidence of the perpetrators, making it difficult for Officer Jennys' police forces to track them..."_

...

Professor Oak muted the TV. "Oh my Arceus..." Serena was equally shocked. Ash, however, was more worried than shocked. Brock and Misty, his first travel companions, were gym leaders. And they were hospitalized. Then he thought of hisother traveling companions who were also gym leaders or part of the gym leader's family: May and Max in Hoenn, Cilan in Unova, and Clemont and Bonnie in Kalos. If all of them had been attacked and hospitalized...

It was too much for him and he collapsed to the ground, blacking out.

"ASH!" Professor Oak and Serena shouted at the same time. They rushed to him.

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><p>A figure is seen flying in the warm blue sky. Upon closer identification, the flying figure is the legendary pokemon, Lugia. How it is out of its deep slumber under the sea is unknown. On top of it is a human figure.<p>

The long, soft, brown hair tells us readers that the human figure is female. She has a slender body and is wearing a turquoise sleeveless shirt coupled with a bright red skirt. Oh her head is a white hat with what seems to be half a pokeball outlined in pink. Along her waist is a yellow waist-bag. And last but not least, she is wearing green, almost turquoise, socks and white shoes.

She is Leaf Green. She seems to be tense of her surroundings. She looks at the horizon with a look of sadness.

In a soft, angelic voice, she says, "The disaster has begun."

**'Indeed it has,'**a voiceless voice agreed. Leaf did not look surprised because she knew who had spoken.

"Lugia, I do not know if others with this kind of bod will make it through." She knew that she might not make it either.

**'It cannot be forseen,' **Lugia agreed. **'However, we must not give up hope.'**

Leaf's sad expression turned into one with determination.

"Right. We'll make it through no matter what happens!" She smiled, ready for anything. Sensing her determination, Lugia sped into the horizon, disappearing into the distance with Leaf.

Nothing but the soft blue sky remains. However, the winds send us one last thought to think about. It came from Leaf's thoughts.

_'I know you do not remember me, but I do. Your memories of me were erased when you were in an accident shortly after I left to become a pokemon trainer. But I know that you play a role in the disaster that has begun. A bond, a fate, a destiny like no other lies with you. Just don't give up, Ash.'_

The disaster has begun. What will be in store for the people that will be affected by it? More importantly, how will Ash act when the people around him are endangered?

* * *

><p><strong>And there's the end of Chapter 2! Hopefully this chapter met your expectations.<strong>

**The battle scene probably looked too easy for you guys considering it was the final battle but since I started at the last of the pokemon battle, the previous battles you can imagine Ash using every technique he learned during his journey to keep his pokemon in battle and dealing damage to his opponent's pokemon. If you can imagine that, then the battle scene would make sense. Even with losing just two pokemon after defeating five.**

**I'll probably attempt battle scenes again soon but whether they are trainer battles or disaster related battles depend on the plot.**

**Next time: Chapter 3: The First Test**

**Comments? Suggestions? That button down there is pretty irresistible, isn't it?**

**It could take even longer for me to update the next chapter so I'm letting you know beforehand!**

**AlphaAura is signing out. See you next time!**


	3. Chapter 3: The First Test

**I am back with another chapter! Took me a little while, but I've done it!**

**Thank you those who reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! My goal is to finish this story completely! And this story has over 500 views! A good start I'd say!**

**A little warning: Death is present in this chapter. That warning was given in the first chapter so you should have expected this already. This chapter is not the only one though. Also, there will be blood but not in detail. I intend to keep this T-rated.**

**Age: (OCs will have their first initial of their name in parentheses. You'll know who as you read)**

**Ash: 16**

**Serena: 16**

**OC (R): 17**

**OC (H): 15**

**OC (A): 16**

**OC (F): 17**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Only this story and my OCs.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: The First Test<strong>

Ash was conscious but his eyes wouldn't open. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't open them. Who was the wise guy that superglued his eyes together? He wished someone would open them for him. He tried reaching out with his hands. No response from his arms. He tried speaking. Vocal chords were blocked. He tried anything. All in vain. He was about to give up when he heard a voice. It was faint and very familiar.

"How...Will he...Please..I hope...wakes up..."

In his current state, he couldn't remember whose voice it belonged to.

In the darkness, Ash felt something else, a presence. Gentle. Not agressive or dominant.

_'It isn't your time yet. Only you have the power to make a difference. Now, wake up.'_

The voice was deep yet familiar. But before he could ponder on whose voice it belonged to, his eyes opened. He woke up to find a worried Professor Oak and an extremely worried Serena looking down on him. No one spoke for a few seconds. Then Serena crushed him with a very powerful hug.

"You're okay!" Serena exclaimed. "When you blacked out, I was so worried!" Ash struggled to breathe. Professor Oak sweatdropped.

"My dear, I think Ash will black out again," Professor Oak told her. Serena realized that Ash was suffocating and quickly let go, allowing Ash to breathe again.

"How long was I out?" Ash asked. Professor Oak looked at a nearby clock and began calculating.

"About two and a half hours, my boy," Professor Oak answered. "What caused you to black out so suddenly?"

"I was worried about Brock, Misty, May, Max, Cilan, Clemont, and Bonnie," Ash explained. "I guess all that worry was too much for me."

Serena knew Clemont and Bonnie but not the others. Before she could ask, Professor Oak answered her question.

"They are gym leaders, correct?" he asked. "The news report did say that gyms and their personnel were attacked."

"Right, except May and Max whose dad, Norman, is the gym leader and Bonnie who is Clemont's little sister."

"Don't worry Ash. I checked on the other regions via their respective Pokemon Professors and they've informed me that they were unaffected." Ash sighed in relief but soon became suspicious.

"Wait. That means only Kanto was affected," Ash pointed out.

"That's right," Serena said, the info dawning on her. "What's going on?"

"I wish we knew," Professor Oak replied sadly. He turned on the TV, hoping for an update on the situation. There wasn't any.

Instead, they got something worse.

The TV screen was now showing a horrifying scene. The first thing Ash saw was the headline: **BERSERK POKEMON ON RAMPAGE IN VIRIDIAN CITY.**

The scene was showing a live clip from a security camera. A few pokemon trainers, 3 in total, were commanding their pokemon to attack a figure in the sky. Behind them were two other trainers who were kneeling down next to a fallen trainer, shaking him or her. Ash saw no movement from the fallen person. Was the trainer...dead? Ash felt anger rise in him. This berserk pokemon had no right to take a life! He stood up quickly, startling Serena and Professor Oak. He clenched his fists and girtted his teeth.

"I'm going to help them," Ash said in a tone neither Serena nor Professor Oak had ever heard come from him. Their eyes widened. Was he really going over there to help?!

"Ash, you can't!" Serena exclaimed. "You could get hurt!" Ash didn't falter.

"If I don't help, then more people will get hurt!"

"My boy, please listen to reason," Professor tried to persuade him. "Several trainers were battling it. Surely they can handle the problem without too much difficulty."

Unfortunately, the ongoing scene on the TV proved him wrong. Another trainer, a girl by the looks of her long black hair, was down on the ground, not moving. A trainer next to her, a boy with blond hair and brown eyes, was trying to help her up but a large shadow rammed into his chest, sending him back a few feet. Multiple pokemon attacks missed the shadow figure as it ascended into the sky once more. The boy was badly wounded. One could see a spot of blood on his shirt near his chest. He grimaced as he barely got to his feet. He grabbed a pokeball from his belt with shaking hands but before he could release another one of his pokemon to battle, the flying shadow figure slammed into his chest once more. He was knocked down, rolling harshly as he came to a stop. This time, however, he didn't move afterwards.

Ash watched the scene without blinking a single eye. His decision to help was set in stone after he'd witnessed three deaths by the shadow figure. Without a word, he ran towards the ranch. When he arrived, he called out for two of his most powerful pokemon.

"Pikachu! Charizard!" Ash yelled. In an instant, Pikachu and Charizard came to him. They saw an expression from Ash that they had never seen before. "We need to head towards Viridian City NOW!" Ash said with such force and seriousness that neither pokemon dared to disobey. Ash climbed onto Charizard's back while Pikachu hopped onto Ash's shoulder.

Serena and Professor Oak ran from the lab and into the ranch where Ash was. They ran towards him. Was he insane?! Was he really going to risk his life by going over there?!

"Ash, you can't go over there!" Serena yelled. They just started their relationship. If he didn't come back alive, then all of it would be in vain.

"Serena! Stay here with Professor Oak!" Ash yelled back. Charizard was now taking off. "You'll be safe here!"

"No Ash! I'm not leaving you!" Serena tried to run towards Ash but he was already in the air riding Charizard.

"Ash, listen to me!" Professor Oak shouted. "If you charge over there with your reckless decision to help, you will most likely not survive!" Ash hesitated. "Let the police force take care of it. Don't risk your own life on a problem that can be solved by other means!"

Ash glanced at Serena who was crying. She was crying that he would go and never return alive. He was heartbroken; he knew he should stay. But something inside him was urging him to go. He had a feeling that he would get some answers about the ongoing disaster.

His facial expression turned from rage to one of resolution. He looked at Professor Oak and Serena one last time.

"I'm sorry, but I have to."

With that being said, Charizard flew towards Viridian City. Serena broke down crying while Professor Oak tried to comfort her. He looked at Ash's disappearing figure. _Please, Ash, come back to us alive._

* * *

><p>Flying to Viridian City felt like an eternity to Ash. He tried to shut out the pleas from Professor Oak and Serena. He needed to be strong in order to take on the berserk pokemon that had already claimed three trainers' lives. Life is precious and it should be protected.<p>

Pikachu and Charizard had come with no argument whatsoever. One look at their trainer's face and his dead serious tone of voice was enough to send a message to them: Something bad happened and we are going to help whether you want to or not.

As the buildings of Viridian City became visible, the sounds of battle and screaming could be heard. Ash scanned the city area and found that the berserk pokemon was rampaging against a group of trainers in an open field to the right of the pokemon center, near the rubbles of what was once the Viridian Gym.

While the berserk pokemon was in the air, Ash told Charizard to land. He complied and Ash hopped off and ran towards the trainers. As he ran, he saw Nurse Joy and her Chansey tending towards the fallen trainers and pokemon in the pokemon center and there were only three trainers that were still battling the berserk pokemon. Ash ran towards them with Pikachu on his shoulder and Charizard flying beside him.

"Hey!" Ash yelled. "How are you holding up?" The three trainers turned to face him. Two of them were boys and the other was a girl. They all looked as old as Ash.

"Who are you?" one of the boys asked. He had short brown hair, matching brown eyes, and wore a simple blue t-shirt and a pair of regular blue jeans. "It's too dangerous here! You should go somewhere where it's safe!" Upon closer look, his clothers were tattered and stained. He had a large cut from the corner of his right eye down to the center of his right cheek. The battle was not doing him any favors to his immediate health.

"I came to help!" Ash replied. "The name's Ash Ketchum. I would like to stay and chat but we have a pokemon to stop!" The three trainers were surprised that the winner of the Kalos League was if front of them in person but quickly shook their trances. One distraction could mean the end for them.

"That Fearow just won't stop attacking!" the girl trainer exclaimed. Ash looked surprised.

"Fearow?!" he shouted. "That's the berserk pokemon?!" Ash looked at the flying figure. When he got a closer look, it was indeed a Fearow. However, its eyes were blood red and it's body was much darker than normal.

The Fearow screeched a sound similar to metal grinding against metal before diving towards its new target, Ash. But halfway through its dive, a thunderbolt blasted it away. It came from a Magnemite.

"That was close, thanks!" Ash said. "We'll have to work together to take it down!"

"Right," the boy whom Ash talked to first. "The name's Ryan. Let's knock that Fearow out of the sky! Magnemite, use Thunderbolt!" Ash noticed a Plusle in front of the girl to his right.

"Plusle, use your Thundershock!" the girl commanded.

"Hey, are you from the Hoenn region by any chance?" Ash asked. Both electric attacks hit the Fearow.

"That's right. My name is Helen," the girl replied. She was wearing a red sleeveless shirt and black colored jeans. Her brown hair reached her shoulders and her soft brown eyes looked fierce but some fear could be seen.

"Guys! Incoming!" the boy next to Ryan yelled. Ash and Helen barely had time to jump out of Fearow's dive. The speed of the dive was insanely fast, enough to kill someone head-on! The Fearow flew back up.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Ash ordered. Charizard complied, spewing fire at the Fearow.

"Hey Andrew!" Helen shouted. "How much longer before Officer Jenny arrives?"

Andrew, who was a few feet away from her, looked at his watch. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a long sleeve orange shirt and tan cargo shorts. "15 minutes!" he replied. He was getting a pokeball from his belt. Ash realized that he must have been one of the helper trainers since he had not released his pokemon yet. He must have called for help just a few moments ago.

"Okay, Plusle use-" she was interrupted by a screech from the Fearow. It had charged up a Hyper Beam and sent it towards Helen. Ash gasped.

"Helen, NO! GET AWAY FROM THERE!" Ash yelled with all of his vocal strength. "Pikachu! Thunderbolt, maximum power!"

Time seemed to slow down for Ash. Seeing the lethal Hyper Beam make its way towards Helen sent every drop of adrenaline in his body to his head, making him aware of every tiny detail and causing his perception of time to blur. His heart pounded in his chest.

He was too far to run to Helen. Ryan was in the same situation. Helen didn't move, immobilized by the fear of death that came closer to her every millisecond. He noticed Andrew running towards her. He pushed her away as the Hyper Beam closed in.

Time seemed to resume and several things happened at once.

Helen rolled against the ground after being pushed away by Andrew. Ryan yelled at the top of his lungs. And there were two explosions, one white and the other yellow.

The yellow explosion was the Thunderbolt that Pikachu had sent towards the Fearow. It glowed yellow as it hit, dealing massive damage from the super effective attack. It spiraled downwards.

The white one, however...

The Hyper Beam attack hit Andrew dead on. The blast sent him flying towards the pokemon center. He crashed against the wall with a loud sickening _crack_. He fell down to the ground with no indication that he was conscious. The wall he crashed into was cracked and damaged.

"ANDREW!" both Ash and Ryan yelled. Helen was crying tears as she watched the entire thing. They were all about to run to him, but the Fearow screeched once more. It flew up once more, ready for another attack.

Ash was way beyond angry. The Fearow had claimed several trainers' lives and it was still up for more?! That was the last straw. No mercy.

"Charizard, Flare Blitz! Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" Both Charizard and Pikachu complied without hesitation after seeing what happened just moments ago. Pikachu glowed a harsh yellow while running at impossible speeds while Charizards body was surrounded by red-orange fire as he flew towards the Fearow at speeds similar to Pikachu's. The Fearow didn't have any time to dodge.

***BOOM***

A huge explosion sent shockwaves that knocked everyone off their feet. The windows of nearby buildings shattered, raining shards of broken glass. Smoke expanded everywhere, lovering visibilities to zero. It burned Ash's lunds when he was forced to inhale after holding his breath for so long. "Charizard!" Ash yelled. "Use your wings to clear the smoke!" He coughed, the smoke burning his lungs inside out. In an instant, a gust of wind blew the smoke away.

When he could see again, the first thing he saw was the Fearow. It laid still and then dissolved into black smoke and dissipated. But Ash didn't have any time nor priority to question what he just saw. He ran towards where Andrew had fallen. Helen was on her knees and so was Ryan. Ryan was checking Andrew's pulse on his wrist.

As Ash walked up to him, Ryan looked up with tears in his eyes. Ash immediately knew what he was about to say.

"He's gone."

Ash collapsed to his knees. He came to help and to protect them. But he wasn't strong enough to protect one of them. Tears fell down his cheeks. If he had been faster at commanding his pokemon, Andrew would still be alive.

* * *

><p>Nurse Joy couldn't help shed tears after trying, and failing, to help the fallen trainers and pokemon. They were too far gone, into a better world. She noticed that there were no more sounds of battle outside. She ran outside and spotted Ryan, Helen, and Ash. She gasped when she saw Andrew's broken body. She was about to ask something but Ryan shook his head, knowing whay she would ask.<p>

Nurse Joy shed more tears as she ran back into the pokemon center to retrieve a stretcher. Her Chansey was no better. They went back outside to pick up Andrew's lifeless body. Ash and Ryan help lift the body into the stretcher.

"Four brave trainers have given their lives to protect others" Nurse Joy said in a sad, quiet voice. "They will be honored and remembered." She and Chansey lifted the stretcher.

"Wait," Helen said, her voice hollow. She walked up to Andrew's body and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you, Andrew, for saving my life. I..I-I will always remember you. I will never forget you." Her voice cracked and she tried to stifle a sob. Nurse Joy and Chansey went away and Helen broke down to tears. Both Ash and Ryan hugged her for comfort.

Night approached. Ryan and Helen were taken by Officer Jenny to the police headquarters located in Pewter City. Ash walked through the field on which he battled the breserk Fearow. Sadness and guilt washed over him as he remembered the battle.

"I could have saved him," he said in a whisper. "If only I was quicker..."

"Nothing could change that outcome," a soft voice said behind him. Ash jumped in alarm. He turned around and saw a girl about his age. Her rich brown hair reached down to her waist and it gleamed in the moonlight. She was wearing a light green blouse and a smooth white skirt that reached her knees. She also wore white socks and black shoes. It unnerved Ash that she was looking at him with her melancholy blue eyes and a sad smile, as if she knew his fate or something.

"Who are you?" Ash asked. Something about this girl was different... The wind calmed down.

"My name is Felicity," the girl replied. "And you are Ash Ketchum." Ash was shocked thay she knew him even though he didn't introduce himself.

"How do you know me?" Ash asked, a little suspicious.

"That is irrelevant. The battle you had today was only the first test." Ash was about to say that her knowing him was relevant but the 'first test' part registered in his brain faster.

"First test?" Ash was starting to feel anger rising dangerously in him. The battle that took four lives was only a _test_?!

"The disaster has started. It is inevitable that lives will be lost."

Ash snapped. "Are you telling me that this disaster is nothing but a test?!" he yelled. "People aren't meant to die like that! Just who do you think you are to say that?!"

Felicity was very calm. "I feel the same way as you, Ash, but I cannot do anything to stop it. I cannot reverse time and prevent those deaths." All the anger left Ash's body.

"Reverse...time?" Ash asked slowly. "What are you talking about?" He only knew one pokemon that could control time itself...

"I can control time," Felicity replied. "The reson is that I have the Bond of Time."

"Wait, but that means...!"

"You are correct. I am bonded to the Legendary Temporal pokemon, Dialga."

Ash was silent in shock. He didn't expect a person with a 'special bond' to be standing in front of him. It was then when he realized that not a single breeze had blown. He noticed that the grass was frozen in a state of waving with the wind, the stars bright but not sparkling, and a few leaves stopped in mid-air. Everything was stopped. _Time _stopped.

"My bond allows me to control time," Felicity explained. "But I have limits. I can only stop or slow down time. In peaceful situations such as now, I can use my limited powers to the fullest. During battles or stressful situations, however, I can only use them sparingly and control is limited to only a few seconds."

"Okay...Then, do other people with these bonds have powers like you do?" Ash asked. He wondered what kind of power his father, Red, and Leaf had.

"Yes, and each power is unique," Felicity answered. "However, I do not specifically know what powers they have until I have seen them use it themselves."

"Oh, okay." Ash then though about the battle. She had called it a test. "About the disaster and today's battle, what do you mean by a test?"

Felicity's blue eyes darkened. "The disaster that was predicted to happen has begun and the battle you took part in was only the first of many that is to come. The people affected will be forced to choose choices or their own will and their choices will determine their fate."

Ash thought about Andrew. He had chosen to sacrifice his own life to protect Helen's. The he thought about himself. What if he had to choose a choice like that? For Serena, he would sacrifice his life to protect her. That went for all of his friends and family. Would he do the same for people that he helps along the way, such as the battle with Fearow?

The suspended wind blew once more. It was somewhat refreshing.

"Time is short. I must go," Felicity said. "We will meet again, Chosen One." She disappeared in a flash of blue. Now Ash was alone. The soft howl of the wind did nothing to comfort Ash.

He knew that much more was to come. That the battle with the Fearow was only the beginning. The only question he had was could he survive all of it? Could he stop this disaster?

He went to the pokemon center, got Pikachu and Charizard, and walked towards Pallet Town. Andrew's sacrifice would always be in his heart. The trainers who have perished would be forever remembered by those who saw it all.

This was only the beginning...

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 is done! It may take just as long or longer to get chapter 4 up. Hopefully this was good for you all.<strong>

**And I've decided to give you some dialogue snips of the next chapter to keep you on your toes for the next installment. And I won't say who says what; that's for you to figure out. :)**

**Next time:**

**Chapter 4: Long Lost Acquaintances**

**Dialogue snips:**

**.-.-.-.**

"Don't give up till it's over. Neve give up hope Ash. You'll make it through. We all will."

"I won't, thanks."

.-.-.-.

"I will risk my life for others, pokemon and human. I don't care if I don't survive as long as others are safe from harm."

'And that's why you have been given a gift long ago.'

.-.-.-.

"It's time we met, Ash."

"B-But how are you here?!"

.-.-.-.

"Ash! Get out of here! It's too dangerous!"

"I said no! I won't allow you to get hurt! Let me help you!"

.-.-.-.

"Your friend here will be alright."

"Huh? Who are you and what did you do to him?"

.-.-.-.

**That's it for now. Reviews are appreciated. I'll be back with the next chapter.**

**AlphaAura, sighing out.**


	4. Chapter 4: Long Lost Acquaintances

**Hello fellow readers, I'm back! *SMACK* OW! What the heck was that for?! ... Oh, it was for being out for so long... eheheh, oops, sorry!... (tries to run away) *sounds of many punches and screaming***

**BetaAura: (sweatdropping) Uh...While my counterpart Alpha is..uh..dealing with some _issues,_ I guess I'll introduce this next chapter.**

**Also, as response to a review, the bond Ash has (minor spoiler) will be kept in the dark until the story reveals it.**

**This chapter has a little surprise so be ready for it! (Though whether it's a surprise or not depends on how you see it.)**

**A point to clear when updating: When I update, I have the next chapter written but not typed into a document. This way, I can shape the story in advance rather than thinking on the spot. Also, there may come a time where suggestions for the story may be appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, only this story and OCs.**

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><p>Ash arrived in Pallet Town the next morning. The battle that took the day before drained him of all his energy and while walking, he found a peaceful spot to sleep. However, he woke up to moderate rain. He was wet all over and Pikachu was no better. Charizard had gone into his own pokeball on his own when it began raining.<p>

Serena was on the front porch of Ash's house. Ever since he went to help with the berserk pokemon incident, she had been on the front porch waiting for him. She was extremely worried and feared that Ash wouldn't come back. But when she spotted him walking in the rain, she immediately ran towards him despite getting herself wet by the rain and hugged him. He returned the hug and for a while they didn't separate. When they did, they walked hand in hand towards his house. Pikachu had already sprinted towards the house and when he got to a dry area, he shook his yellow fur.

Delia had been even more worried than Serena. But that worry turned into motherly anger when she saw him and Serena come inside all wet from the rain. But before she could say anything, she noticed his pained and sad expression and immediately dropped her lecturing. The expression was enough to tell her that her son had experienced something that had nearly broke him from the inside, in other words, mentally. Ash let go of Serena's hand and walked towards his room. Serena went into the guest room to change clothes. But when she came out, she noticed that Ash hadn't come out. But she knew that he needed to be alone for a while.

Ash was in his room laying on his bed and thinking about the day before. He wondered what caused the Fearow to go berserk. Or was it even a Fearow? It did dissolve into black smoke… If the disaster really did come as multiple tests or battles, would he be able to survive and protect others?

***knock knock***

"Hey Ash," Serena's voice called from behind the door. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," he said thinking it was a good idea to talk about what he had in mind, particularly the battle he took part in.

Serena opened the door and came inside. The first thing she noticed about Ash was his crestfallen expression. Something had happened the day before and it was clearly taking a toll on him. "I came to see if you were alright," she said. "Are you okay?"

Ash shook his head. "Not really," he replied truthfully and in a sad tone. "I helped take out the berserk pokemon yesterday." Serena nodded. She knew that already. "But the result of the battle was worse than the damage done in the area." Serena wondered what was worse that turned the Ash she knew and loved to a shell of his former self. Arceus forbid, did he experience a death..?

"...I wasn't quick enough. I-If only I was quicker..." His voice cracked and tears fell down his face. Serena hated seeing Ash like this. She couldn't help but tear up too.

"What...happened?" Serena whispered. "What caused you to be like this?" Whatever the answer, Serena knew that she wouldn't like it at all. Ash looked at her.

"I couldn't s-save him," he replied with a hoarse voice. "A trainer died during the battle and I w-was right there...I could have saved him..."

Serena gasped. He went through all that?! She was right about him experiencing a death. She hugged him for comfort. She knew that Ash was caring for others whether he knew them or not and the same went for pokemon too but to witness a death in front of him?

"If more of this happens, will we be able to survive?" he asked. "I don't want to lose any of you..." He doubted that he could keep it together if he had to see more deaths that he could have prevented. Serena broke the hug and grabbed his hands.

"Don't give up till it's over," she said in a comforting voice. "Never give up hope Ash. You'll make it through. We all will."

For the first time that day, Ash smiled. It was a sad smile but it was a smile nevertheless. "I won't, thanks." He leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

><p>Serena left Ash alone in his room. She told Ash's mother, Delia, about what Ash had gone through but she took it worse than she did. She said that her son wasn't born to go through such a tragedy. And she knew that more was to come. Serena did her best to comfort her.<p>

An hour later, Ash came out of his room. He then excused himself to go outside. He found a clearing not too far away and sat with his back behind a tree. The shade it gave was cool and refreshing. The sky was a wonderful blue and fluffy clouds floated above. A breeze made the tree's leaves sway.

It was a peaceful day. But Ash knew better. With the disaster at its beginning, there would no longer be any more peaceful days by the end of it. Nothing will ever be the same.

His thoughts wandered and stopped at the concept of life. Every living creature had life in them but they all have only one. Andrew gave his life for Helen. Life was precious. One chance is all you have. And when it's gone, you don't get another.

Ash held up his hand, his black fingerless gloves still in good condition even after traveling the Kalos region.

"I have one chance of life, too," he said to himself. "Every time I see a person or pokemon in danger or hurt, I help them without hesitation. But with the disaster, am I really going to risk my own only life to help protect others?" He thought about it deeply. But all his thoughts reached only one conclusion.

"I will risk my life for others," he decided. "I don't care if I don't survive as long as others are safe from harm."

_'And that's why you have been given a gift long ago,' _a man's voice said in his head. Before Ash could respond, he blacked out into a deep sleep. The hand he held out was glowing blue.

* * *

><p>"So, did the Fearow kill our target?" a gruff voice asked.<p>

"Unfortunately, no," a female voice replied. "However, it had killed four other trainers that foolishly decided to step up to it." The man laughed.

"Fools indeed. The Fearow I created was made to kill. Now, about our target..."

"Yes, our target. Ash Ketchum. He was the one who stopped the Fearow according to reports." The woman was shrouded in darkness but one could see her smiling evilly.

"So he's stronger than we had first thought," the man replied. Darkness also shrouded him but his jet black hair and a cruel smile could be seen clearly. "Then I believe it's time I paid him a _friendly_ visit."

"Agreed. I'll keep watch here."

"That you will." The man walked out but stopped. He turned around to the woman. "Night? Instead of staying here, why don't you hunt one of our other targets, what was her name? Oh yes, Leaf Green."

The woman named Night smiled a smile that caused the temperature in the room to drop twenty degrees. "The bonder of Balance, eh? Sounds good to me, Shadow."

The man named Shadow laughed. He walked out with the darkness clinging on to him as he went.

* * *

><p>Ash opened his eyes to a bright blue environment. He looked around.<p>

"Where am I?" he asked himself.

_'You are inside your own subconscious, Ash,' _a non-human voice replied. It sounded _very_ familiar.

"What? Who? How do you know me?"

"I believe you know my friend," a man's voice said. "You've heard of me but never saw me in person." The man's voice was vaguely familiar. He tried to find the memory for the voices but he just couldn't remember them.

"I know those voices from somewhere..." Ash said, thinking hard.

_'Master, should we guide him to his memories?' _the non-human, almost pokemon, voice asked.

"Wait...'master'?.." Ash was starting to connect the pieces of his missing memories...

"No, I think the boy will figure it out soon," the man replied. "Very soon."

Suddenly, a forgotten memory resurfaced in Ash's mind. He gasped at who he had remembered. The non-human voice, it belonged to a pokemon! And that pokemon had called the man his 'master'. And that man was none other than...!

"I believe you have figured it out, Ash," the man's voice said.

_'It is time we revealed ourselves to you,' _the pokemon's voice said.

From the shadows, two figures came out. The man was somewhat tall and well-toned. He appeared to be wearing a pair of grey shirt and pants with a long blue vest over it. He was also wearing a dark blue cloak and was wearing dark blue gloves with an orb in the center on them. He wore a blue fedora hat that had some kind of symbol etched in gold. His black hair was wild and spiked like Ash's but more so and it covered one of his piercing blue eyes.

The other figure was a pokemon. It stood on its hind heels. It was covered in blue and black fur on its limbs except for the patch of creamy colored fur on the middle of its torso. It had the looks of a canine and from its wrists as well as just above the ankles were steel spikes (also a small spike at its chest). Its red-colored irises made it look intimidating along with the four appendages hanging from the back of its head.

Ash had only two names to address.

"Sir Aaron. Lucario," he addressed in absolute disbelief.

"It's time we met, Ash," Sir Aaron said.

"B-But how are you here?!" Ash exclaimed. "I saw you give up your life to protect your kingdom!"

"That, my child, happened long ago when you first wore my Aura Gloves to help Lucario here with healing Mew at the Tree of Beginning."

"Your gloves?" Ash asked.

"Although my physical body vanished that day, my Aura did not," Sir Aaron explained. "But since human Aura cannot be sustained without a body, I had to keep my Aura essence in a place where it could be stored. Fortunately, that happened to be my Aura Gloves."

"And how does that explain your presence here?" Ash asked.

"When you used my gloves to manipulate your Aura, My Aura essence bonded with yours after it had sensed another human Aura user with the same Aura signature."

Ash was in thought for a moment. "That's right...Lucario had said that I had the same Aura signature as you when we first met."

_'And there is a reason to why you had Master's Aura signature,' _Lucario said telepathically. _'I did not know why until I bonded with Master's Aura when my physical body vanished that day.'_

"And the reason is..?"

"Do you remember what happened a year prior to your journey?" Sir Aaron asked. Ash nodded.

"My memories are a bit fuzzy but I do remember being in an accident," Ash answered. "But I do not completely remember what accident I was in. I can't seem to remember it at all."

_'Master?' _Lucario asked. Sir Aaron nodded.

"Lucario will unlock that memory for you," he said. "There was a reason to why it was locked from your memories but I will not say until you have learned the ways of Aura." He nodded towards Lucario.

Lucario closed his eyes and outstretched his paws out. A blue orb expanded and covered the entire environment. And then a projection started.

* * *

><p>[ProjectionFlashback Start]

9-year-old Ash was walking along with a girl with a turquoise sleeveless shirt, red skirt, yellow waist-bag, and a belt with a minimized pokeball. As they walked through Pallet town, Ash spoke up.

"Hey Leaf!" he said in a happy tone. "What is your goal?" Leaf looked at him with a smile.

"I'm going to travel all over Kanto and complete the Kanto Pokedex!" she responded, equally happy. "What about you?"

"I'm going to become a Pokemon Master!" Ash chirped. "I will cheer for you all the way!"

"I will do the same for you too!" Leaf said. They high-fived. They were about to part ways - Leaf towards Route 1 and Ash towards home - when they heard buzzing coming from the surrounding forest around them.

"What's that noise?" Ash asked worriedly.

"I don't know but we should-" she was interrupted by a group of Beedrill that came from the surrounding forest to their left. "Beedrills! Run!" Both Ash and Leaf ran to their right and into the forest. The Beedrill didn't stop chasing them. After a few minutes of running, Leaf and Ash reached the end of the forest. In front of them was a steep hill-like cliff. The bottom of the cliff was about 50 feet below.

"We can't go any further!" Ash exclaimed. The buzzing from the Beedrills got louder with each passing second.

"Why are they attacking us?!" Leaf angrily wondered. "We didn't do anything!"

The group of Beedrills, three in all, came out of the forest.

"Bulbasaur, come on out!" Leaf threw her pokeball and out came her grass-type starter pokemon. It saw the imminent danger its trainer was in. "Use Razor Leaf on the Beedrill!" A fury of razor-sharp leaves shot towards the angry Beedrills. Leaf turned to Ash. "You don't have any pokemon! You have to run back home where it's safe! I'll take care of these Beedrills."

Ash shook his head. "No! I won't leave you here!" He grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it at the nearest Beedrill. Direct hit. But it targeted him instead of Bulbasaur.

"Vine Whip!" Leaf commanded and a vine slapped the Beedrill heading for Ash away. "Use Razor Leaf again!" Another barrage of sharp leaves. "Ash! Get out of here! It's too dangerous!"

Ash picked up another rock and threw it at another Beedrill. "I said no! I won't allow you to get hurt! Let me help you!"

Suddenly, a Beedrill zipped towards Ash with its stingers poised to stab him. Leaf was too slow to command Bulbasaur. Ash stepped back quickly to dodge the incoming attack.

Fatal mistake.

The ground below him as he stepped backwards crumbled under his weight. In an instant, the ground was no more, sending Ash down the fifty-foot drop.

"ASH! NO!" Leaf screamed at the top of her lungs.

[Projection End]

* * *

><p>Ash was stunned and shocked. Not only did he witness himself falling down a fifty-foot drop but he also knew Leaf. Professor Oak did say that he should have known her but how is that so? Why couldn't he remember her at all? His memories showed nothing about Leaf. So what happened? And what happened when he fell down the cliff?<p>

"What...what happened after that?" Ash asked softly.

"The projection was third-person view because of your Aura but when you fell down that cliff, your Aura had to follow so we aren't certain how the girl was able to get out of that situation," Sir Aaron explained," but we are able to show you what happened to you _after_ you fell."

* * *

><p>[Projection Start]<p>

The projection showed an open field. A rather tall cliff stood at the edge of the field. On the grass in front of the cliff was a young boy with raven hair. Upon closer look, it was Ash. The fall had wounded him gravely. A large gash was visible on his forehead. His clothes were ripped in many areas, each having a stain of blood from the cuts beneath. Ash wasn't moving but the weak and labored breathing meant that he was alive. But only barely. If help didn't come soon, the 9-year-old boy would cease to live.

Around him, a sphere of blue energy slowly became visible. It then grew and transformed into a human figure. Once the human figure, a man, was fully formed, he knelt down at Ash's side. He put his right hand on Ash's chest.

"Your Aura is quickly slipping away and without it, you will cease to exist," the man said softly. "The Aura is with me." In an instant, waves of blue energy flowed through Ash's body. After a few minutes, Ash was fully healed but was still unconscious.

The man stood up. The moment he did, a very distressed Leaf came running.

"Ash!" she yelled. She stopped when she noticed the man and readied her pokeball, thinking the man was an enemy. The man raised a hand.

"I do not mean any harm," he said. "Your friend here will be alright."

"Huh? Who are you and what did you do to him?" Leaf asked, suspicious.

"I am nothing but a wandering spirit. As for your friend, he is fully healed and he will be okay." Leaf walked slowly towards Ash and saw that even though his clothes were battered and torn, she could see that there were no cuts underneath. She was so relieved that she ran to the man and hugged him.

"I don't know how you healed him but thank you so much!" Leaf exclaimed, tears running down her face. "I thought he would be gone..."

"He's okay now. However, there is one problem." Leaf frowned.

"What problem?" she asked.

"As I healed him, I was able to look into his memories," the man said. Leaf's eyes went wide.

"You can do that? How?"

"It's an ability of mine but that is not important. The boy's fall had caused some severe damage to his head."

Leaf paled. "What does that mean?"

The man spoke softly, "A part of his memories were erased. A specific one to be exact."

"...Which part?" Leaf was getting a feeling that the man's answer would not be pleasant...

"His memory of you," the man answered. "The fall had caused him to lose his memories of you."

[Projection End]

* * *

><p>Ash was silent. Sir Aaron spoke.<p>

"Memories are fragile," he said. "An accident like yours could have erased all of your memories. You were lucky that you kept all but one."

"Leaf..." Ash muttered. "I can't believe my memories of you were gone..."

_'Do not dwell too much on the past,'_ Lucario said telepathically. _'Neither you nor we could go back to the past and change that outcome.'_

Ash nodded very slightly. Then he thought about something else that didn't make sense.

"Wait, how were you able to form near me and heal me?" Ash asked, looking at Sir Aaron.

Sir Aaron started explaining. "When I stored my Aura essence in my own gloves, I was able to concentrate on sustaining my Aura essence without a body. The time it took for me to have a month's time of pure Aura essence was long indeed, from my time period to yours. When I set out, I tried to sense other humans that could use Aura like I could. I searched all over Kanto, starting with my kingdom, Rota, and it wasn't long before I sensed a very powerful Aura."

"My Aura?" Ash asked.

"Correct. I found you a few days prior to your accident and decided to follow and observe you. Your Aura, although dormant and developing, was very powerful and I had no doubt that you would become a very powerful Aura user or an Aura Guardian. When you were wounded by your fall, your Aura was starting to seep out, much like blood does when skin is cut. Because Aura is the essence of life, without it, you would be dead, so I had to merge a part of my Aura essence with yours to stabilize your Aura. That's the reason why you have the same Aura signature as mine."

Ash nodded, perfectly understanding his explanation, albeit shell-shocked. "I guess I have to thank you for saving my life, so thanks." Sir Aaron nodded.

"As an Aura Guardian, it is my duty to protect those in danger," he replied. Ash realized that he had the same ideal: to protect those he loved from danger.

The blue environment around them started to dim. "Our time is short, Ash," Sir Aaron informed him. "It is time you return to your physical reality."

_'We will meet occasionally,' _Lucario added. _'You have just unlocked your Aura abilities and Master and I would like to train you on how to use your Aura abilities.'_

Ash smiled. "That would be awesome, thank you. I guess this is goodbye for now," he said.

"Until next time," Sir Aaron said, disappearing with Lucario. Everything went black and Ash woke up.

The sun was high in the sky, telling him that he had been out for not too long. He went back inside his house, and Pikachu happily greeted him and jumped onto his shoulder. The smell of food from the kitchen told him that it was almost time for lunch.

A new path has opened. But will the path lead to the end of destruction?

* * *

><p><strong>And there's that. Hopefully this chapter makes up for my long absence (it probably doesn't). I just had two very rough weeks and with all the tests and work my school and teachers give out, I can't put much effort into the story. It doesn't mean I'm giving up on it! I'll see this to the end, for sure!<strong>

**If you're wondering about why the group of Beedrills attacked, it will be explained later in the story.**

**With all that I'm going through, updating the story will have to be once every week or once every other week. I'm sorry, but there's just too much for me to do right now. I hope you understand.**

**Comments? Suggestions? Questions? I would like to have some feedback on how I'm doing with this story. It helps a lot. Thanks for reading!**

**Next time: Chapter 5: Learning Aura Capabilites**

**Another set of dialogue snips from the next chapter!**

.-.-.-.

"What happens if we fail?"

_'Then the entity will strip the Creator of his powers and destroy our world. We would all cease to exist.'_

.-.-.-.

_'We must hurry and try to prevent his death! Without him, the world is fated to perish!'_

"Then let's go! We need to protect him at all costs!"

.-.-.-.

"Aura is indeed a difficult subject. To learn about it will take a lot of patience."

_'And we know how reckless and impatient you are.'_

.-.-.-.

"So you finally decided to grace me with your presence."

"Indeed I did. But my presence means your death!"

.-.-.-.

**Hopefully that keeps you interested for the next chapter. I'll see you there, then.**

**AlphaAura signing out. (BetaAura: H-Hey, wait for me~!)**


	5. Chapter 5: Learning Aura Capabilities

**It's been almost three weeks...wow. I've finished pretty much everything in school so I may have more time to type this story down but apparently my mind seems closed from other thoughts. I don't have much motivation since my circumstances are unbearable to live with. My life isn't going so great (who isn't?) and so my drive for my stories have begun to shut down. I'll see what I can do to reboot myself but I don't think I'll be able to do much.**

**Another thing is that I appreciate people who read my story and I really appreciate those who give feedback, but I hope I can get a little more reception. It's a hope when I decide to start a brand new story a little into the future (have an idea, just need more plot details).**

**I have another chapter ahead of this one written down, the problem is how long it will take to type it down and have the time for it. I hope you guys like this chapter, even though it's not much to like. I can't update regularly; it might be weeks before the next chapter comes out. My life and its damn lifestyle.**

**Oh well, let's see what this chapter brings out. (Oh and I'm not really good at describing appearances, so bear that in mind)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. That is all.**

* * *

><p>The sun was setting, creating a beautiful sunset. The blue sky was now tinged with pink and orange. Ash was in his room, looking outside from his window. He wasn't happy when he normally should. With all that was going on, who was? Things were just not the same. First was the discovery of the bonds. A bond that causes your choices to carry your fate. Next was an unexpected coordinated explosion that sent all gym leaders and their personnel in Kanto to the hospitals. Who would do such a thing?! And then there was that Fearow that took four lives, one of which Ash had seen with his own eyes.<p>

While Ash thought about the Fearow, he remembered that it had blood red eyes and its body was much too dark for a regular Fearow. Also, when it was taken down, it just dissolved into black smoke. Just what was that thing? Ash hoped that none of the Team organizations weren't behind all this. It would have been their most devastating scheme yet.

_'They aren't,'_ a deep voice said in his mind. He realized that it was the same voice from when he passed out from worry. _'The Creator is being challenged by an entity shrouded in darkness that is just as strong as Himself. The disaster here is a test to see how powerful his creations, humans and pokemon, are and how they handle the situation.'_

"If it's a test, then what happens if we fail?" Ash asked aloud.

_'Then the entity will strip the Creator of His powers and destroy our world. We would all cease to exist.'_

Ash gasped in horror. His eyes were wide, but they changed to one of anger and rage. "Then we can't fail!" he exclaimed. "Not if I can help it!"

"Ash, what did you say?" Serena's voice called from outside his room. Ash sweatdropped as he realized that he had spoken out loud.

"Nothing!" he shouted back. As paced back and forth. He was restless as a Rattata, courtesy of his many travels during his six years since he left home for his journey. He was itching for an adventure to a new region and a new league, despite him winning the Kalos Leauge, not a disaster that could end everything. But with nowhere to go to, he was stuck at home.

"I guess some rest wouldn't hurt. I've been through a lot."

He went to his bed and tried to sleep. Despite the millions of thoughts that were roaming through his head, he somehow was able to find sleep. But he didn't dream, though he usually did not dream, except for some nightmares from Darkrai. Instead, he was in a bright blue environment he knew all too well.

* * *

><p>Atop of a flying figure rests the girl with the bond of Balance, Leaf. As Lugia flew in the night sky, she slept while on its back. Her hair swayed back and forth with the wind. However, she doesn't seem to be having a pleasant dream. For her, ever since she was bonded with Lugia, snips of the future make their way to her mind when she sleeps. She called these 'visions' and although there weren't many, all came true. And she was having one now.<p>

First came images one after another. One was the day she left Professor Oak's lab as a pokemon trainer, before she and Ash was chased by the Beedrill. Then it was when she realized that she was bonded to Lugia when he showed himself to her. After that, it was a battle while in the point of view of someone else. A Fearow with different coloration and red eyes was charging a Hyper Beam. Then the images faded away and the vision started. Dream Leaf was visibly pale, dreading what the vision had in store for her.

She saw someone, a boy around her age, lying on the ground. The grass around him was withered and dry, as if a drought had come by and dried them all up. But the withered grass encircled only the lying boy, the grass outwards was lush and lively. A second glance at the boy told Leaf that the boy was dead, no doubt. No movement of the chest and any other part of the body told her everything.

But when she went over to the boy's body, she immediately gasped, shakily took a few steps back, and screamed.

"This can't be happening!" Leaf screamed. "No, NO!"

The boy on the ground had messy raven hair. He wore a blue shirt that had white stripes at the edges. Underneath that shirt was a black undershirt. He also wore navy jeans and atop his head was a red cap with half a pokeball symbol in white. Looking at his face, one could see blood running down the right corner of his mouth. No other injuries were present. The boy was dead.

He had been attacked from the inside. Whatever happened, he died from internal causes.

Leaf bolted upright. Her heart was racing and she was sweating from the vision. She shivered even though it was warm. "A vision..." she barely managed to whisper. "Not him...please not him..."

_'Another vision?'_ Lugia's voiceless, yet male voice, asked. Leaf barely nodded.

"Yes, and it...was about Ash," she muttered in fear. She couldn't bear the loss of her childhood friend.

_'The Chosen One? How could this be?'_

"I'm not sure, Lugia. But my visions never lie..."

_'We must hurry and try to prevent his death! Without him, the world is fated to perish!'_

"Then let's go! We need to protect him at all costs!"

They sped into the horizon, trying to locate Ash and prevent his death that could spell the end of the world.

* * *

><p>Sometimes Ash wished his Aura-filled mind would be in a less bright hue of the bright blue. The brightness really gave him a headache. <em>A headache while inside my head...<em> He shook his head furiously. Now wasn't the time to be caught in extremely confusing thoughts! He needed to find his two Aura-capable acquaintances, Sir Aaron and Lucario.

Ash remembered that they had said that they would train him to use his Aura abilities. But still, training Aura inside Aura? His head hurt just by thinking of it. Maybe he would get an explanation later. That is, if he could _find_ him. He had been searching left, right, forward, backward, everywhere! But no matter which way he took, he ended up in the same starting point! His Aura was a maze!

After a while of thinking, he remembered something. Something so obvious that he facepalmed himself. Why hadn't he remembered this sooner?! He had forgotten that he could use his Aura to sense other Auras around him. And so, after a moment of stupidity, he sent out his Aura senses to locate his acquaintances.

Imagine his surprise when he sensed two Auras underneath him.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed. "They're _down there_?!"

_'That's right, Ash,'_ Lucario's telepathy reached him. _'Took you long enough.' _Lucario's tone of voice told Ash that he was smirking. Ash frowned.

"Uh, how do I get down there?"

_'That, my friend, is for you to figure out.'_ Sir Aaron's voice said in Ash's mind. _'Come to us and we'll explain many details about Aura.'_

"Easy for you to say..." Ash muttered. The 'ground' below him was solid! So, unless he wanted to dig his way down, he was stuck. And stayed there for a long while.

_'Ash, the way to us is much more simpler than you think,'_ said Sir Aaron's voice. _'Why are you here? What is the reason that you came here in the first place?'_

"To learn about Aura," Ash responded. "My Aura in particular is being a pain in the neck."

_'Think outside the box,' _said Lucario's voice. _'What can you do with your Aura?'_

Ash thought for a moment. "I guess I can communicate, sense, and basically manipulate it," he replied, remembering his previous adventures that involved him using his Aura abilities.

_'You say that you can manipulate your Aura,'_ Sir Aaron said. Ash was confused for a moment before smacking himself.

"Of course!" The answer had been simpler than he had thought. All he needed to do was use his Aura to reach Sir Aaron and Lucario! He had to manipulate his Aura to create a path to them or travel with it! So he closed his eyes as he concentrated on his Aura. Then he willed it to travel within the vast environment of Aura and stopped when nearby the two powerful Auras that he knew to be Sir Aaron and Lucario. He felt a little electrical impulse that locked his body from any movement. "Ah, darn paralysis..."

"Not bad for your first try at Aura Travel," Sir Aaron said with his physical voice, "but you still need practice. I think you've flirted with the ground for too long."

"Huh?" Ash murmured. He opened his eyes and realized that he was indeed laying down on the ground. Embarrassed, he got up and dusted himself. "I guess I'll be here for a while if Aura is this confusing."

"Aura is indeed a difficult subject. To learn about it will take a lot of patience," Sir Aaron said.

_'And we know how reckless and impatient you are,' _Lucario said with a smirk.

"I am not reckless! Or impatient!" Ash retorted. Sir Aaron and Lucario both raised an eyebrow.

"Your Aura says otherwise."

_'And you know it.'_

Ash slumped. It was no use arguing with them.

"Okay, okay. So, when do I start learning about Aura?" he asked, his voice carrying excitement and determination.

"Starting now. I did tell you that I would teach you when you get here." Ash nodded. "So, first things first. What do you know about Aura?" Ash though about it for a while.

"Well, I, um, know it is the essence of all life and it is also a way of communicating with others. Also, you can manipulate Aura into attacks such as Aura Sphere. Lucario is a well known pokemon that can control Aura but humans controlling Aura are almost unheard of, except you," Ash said to Sir Aaron.

Sir Aaron nodded and closed his eyes. Then he smiled. "You know the basics of Aura, Ash," he said. "But there is much more to learn. Aura is very complex so I hope you are patient enough to learn it all."

"I'm patient enough!" Ash exclaimed. Sir Aaron and Lucario raised another eyebrow. Ash sweatdropped. "Okay, maybe a little impatient. But I'm here to learn, right? Anyways, it looks like I won't be going anywhere soon for a long time."

Sir Aaron and Lucario smiled. "Then let's get started, shall we?"

Ash nodded. "Right!"

* * *

><p>Leaf was running through Viridian Forest in the direction of Pallet Town. Her vision about Ash's death meant that he would be in danger soon. On her neck was a pendant that held a glittering white stone. The stone held Lugia's essence and whenever Leaf needed his presence, he would appear instantly. The pendant was created by Lugia himself because since he was a Legendary pokemon, it would attract a lot of unwanted attention.<p>

She ran without stopping but a bolt of red lightning coming straight at her caused her to react purely on reflexes and somersaulted backwards. The bolt struck the grass and completely obliterated it. Leaf looked around for whoever attacked her. She couldn't call Lugia out because the surrounding forest was too dense and compacted. Suddenly, her senses flared. She jumped and flipped back as another red lightning bolt struck where she was seconds ago.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!" Leaf yelled, her voice echoing in the forest. Not a sound could be heard but Leaf didn't lower her guard. Then a barrage of red lightning came in all directions. Leaf ducked under the closest one as it went, quickly jumped to the side to dodge more, used her momentum to roll to the side, then abruptly stopped, stood up faster than any human or pokemon, and somersaulted forward as a bolt came at her. She had dodged all incoming bolts. Leaf panted. She was glad that her bond's passive ability gave her reflexes and physical power that surpassed most pokemon and perhaps all humans.

"Hmmm, maybe I underestimated you after all," a cold feminine voice echoed throughout the forest. "If I can't hit you with long-ranged attacks, let's see how you fare with melee combat!" As soon as the voice stopped, the owner of the voice jumped out of the trees and slashed at Leaf with a black blade that sparked with red electricity. Leaf ducked under and swept her lefts at the woman's legs as an attempt to trip her, but she jumped back. Leaf quickly got up and went into a defensive stance. She was able to see her attacker. The woman had dark purple hair that ran down to her waist and the irises of her eyes were colored red. Her face was paler than a normal person's but was quite young...and had a cruel smile. A faint scar could be seen on her left cheek. Her clothes consisted of a black long-sleeved shirt with comfortable-looking blue skinny jeans. But the most prominent thing about her was that she had powers and abilities, red lightning being one of them. And powers and abilities came from people who were bonded.

"So you finally decided to grace me with your presence," Leaf scoffed. The woman only smirked.

"Indeed I did. But my presence means your death!" She lunged at Leaf, her blade ready to slash.

* * *

><p>"Aura may be one entire essence, but in reality, it is actually made up of two different types," Sir Aaron explained. "They are called 'Physical Aura' and 'Mental Aura'."<p>

"Physical and Mental?" Ash asked.

"Also known as 'Alpha Aura' **(A/N: Hey, it's me!)** and 'Beta Aura' respectively. Can you figure out which of your Aura abilities use which type of Aura?"

"Hmm, I guess sensing and communicating uses Mental Aura while manipulating uses Physical Aura." Sir Aaron nodded and smiled.

"You grasp the subject easily, Ash," he said. "Physical Aura is the type of Aura that allows us to manipulate Aura, as you said. Physical Aura is the Aura that can be used outside the body. The basic manipulation is the Aura Sphere."

"What about Mental Aura?" Ash asked.

"Mental Aura is the type of Aura situated in our minds. It lets us communicate with and sense other Auras. The basic manipulation of Mental Aura is Aura Sense, which is sensing your surroundings.

Ash raised a hand. "When you say basic, do you mean that there are levels of difficulty for learning Aura techniques?"

Sir Aaron nodded. "Yes, but it is not the basic-intermediate-advanced difficulty you see most of the time. Rater, it depends on how strong your Aura is."

"How strong my Aura is?"

"Right. The stronger your Aura - in other words, how concentrated it is - the more manipulations of Aura you can use."

"Oh," Ash said, nodding. Then those really confusing thoughts came back. He needed an explanation. "If Mental Aura is situated in the mind, does that mean we're here in my mind as Mental Aura? Because that would mean Mental Aura inside Mental Aura, if you understand what I mean, which I don't even understand myself."

Sir Aaron was expressionless. Then he spoke, "Even I don't know. It was too confusing when I trained as an Aura Guardian so I left it alone. You should too."

Ash looked at Lucario, who was meditating.

_'Don't look at me. I don't know either. I don't think any Lucario knows.'_

Ash sweatdropped. "I guess it will be a mystery forever..."

* * *

><p>Inside Ash's room, a cloud of swirling darkness appeared in front of the door. When the darkness vanished, a man with a pure black shirt with matching jeans, jet black hair, red iris-colored eyes, and a visible scar running down his neck appeared. His cruel grin could make the most fearless pokemon run away in fear. He stared at Ash who was sleeping, oblivious to his presence. If his grin could get any crueler, it just did.<p>

"You're not going to survive this time," the man said in a very dark and husky voice. "That Fearow was meant to kill you but I seem to have underestimated your powers. But this time will be different. Your death will be guaranteed." He walked up to Ash's sleeping body, his hands glowing black with darkness.

"Welcome to the Darkness, Ash Ketchum."

* * *

><p><strong>Nothing much to say here, other than sorry for taking so long.<strong>

**Next time: Chapter 6: Overcoming the Darkness**

**Next chapter's dialogue snips:**

.-.-.-.

"Who are you?"

"That is none of your concern, but I'll make an exception for you. I am Night, bonder of Destruction."

.-.-.-.

"Stay still, bonder of Balance. I'll take care of this."

"You dare attack me?!"

.-.-.-.

"What's...happening?"

"Your Aura...whoever is out there...is consuming your Aura. Without your Aura...the three of us will cease to exist."

.-.-.-.

"You started the bondings?!"

"Indeed, I am the one who made it possible for others to have special bonds. However, I am not responsible for the danger we are in. I have the same chances of survival as you do."

.-.-.-.

"Never call me that lest you want to be decapitated."

"Spoken like a true bonder of Destruction."

.-.-.-.

"Show yourself!"

"Gladly. You'll be in for a shock."

.-.-.-.


	6. Chapter 6: Overcoming the Darkness

**So I'm back with another chapter. Still took over a week...but things get harder as time goes by for me. But enough of me. This story is for you guys and girls.**

** Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Thanks for your review! And yes, I have a knack for leaving my readers in suspense. ^.^ And here's another chapter. Hope it's good for you! (And thanks for your PS. It helped in a way. I really appreciate it.)**

** Ambient Tech: Thanks as always. I'm glad that the previous chapters were to your liking. Hope my future chapters are to your liking as well!**

**Also, on a completely different note, on the night of November 29, I saw a shooting star! The first in my entire life! Stargazing as a hobby sure does has its perks! :)**

**Disclaimer by AlphaAura: Pokemon does not own me...wait a sec...**

**BetaAura: Dude...you reversed the entire thing. Switch it back.**

**AlphaAura: (sweatdropping) Oh. Oops. Me own not does Pokemon.**

**BetaAura: *Facepalm* I didn't mean it literally! Jeez...Here: I do not own Pokemon.**

**(One little note: This chapter changes scenes frequently. It may be a bit confusing. I hope it's not too much of an inconvenience.)**

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><p>Leaf was breathing heavily. The battle against the mysterious woman who wanted to kill her for whatever reason was not going well. She had numerous cuts and wounds, few from the trees and roots on the ground, most from the black knife that the woman was using. That black knife was not only deadly but it also seemed to cause even more pain than usual. A small cut made her wince in extreme pain and bite her tongue to stop the screaming. It was as if the knife was made for destruction.<p>

She had thought of calling out her pokemon, but with the deadly knife that her enemy had, she couldn't risk their lives to protect her own, even if they had willingly wanted to. And Lugia did tell her at one point that he was unable to interfere with this battle.

Resting behind a large tree, she was trying to think of a way to get out of the forest without her deadly pursuer. But her strength was rapidly waning as her blood leaks out from her small, but numerous wounds.

"She just won't give up!" Leaf muttered, panting. "I can't even get close enough to her!" She tensed as she heard a silent hiss from the side. She sidestepped -just in time- when a black knife impaled the tree that she was resting against a split second ago. It dissolved into black smoke, which made Leaf even more confused. She tensed again when a chuckle echoed in the surrounding forest.

"You can run but you can't hide," a sweet, yet malicious feminine voice echoed. "You can't win against me. Why not give up, little girl?"

_'Never,'_ Leaf thought. She touched the white stone on her pendant and called out to Lugia. _'Lugia, what can I do to get the upper hand?'_ she asked in thought. She felt a presence in her mind and a thought came back.

_'As you already know, your bond's passive ability gives you reflexes and physical strength that surpasses almost all humans,'_ Lugia said. _'But you still have yet to know your true power. You have yet to unlock that power.'_

_'What power?'_ Leaf asked. _'I thought there wasn't one for the bond of Balance. Balance itself doesn't have a power of its own.'_

_'That is where you are wrong, little one. Your inner strength is not unknown to you. You have used it once before.'_

_'I have?' _Leaf thought. But before she could get a response, a sharp, burning pain like no other exploded around her right shoulder. It took all her willpower not to scream in pain. Her eyes got blurry from the tears of pain that were threatening to fall. When she blinked them out and her vision returned to normal, she looked at what caused her so much indescribable pain. Her eyes widened.

A black knife had embedded into just below her right shoulder, pinning her to the tree behind her. Hissing in pain, she tried to reach for the knife and pull it out but before she could, the knife dissolved into black smoke. All that remained was a deep cut with blood oozing out fast. With her left hand, she applied pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. The pain while doing that was almost too much for Leaf to handle. She collapsed to her knees.

"Is that all you've got?" the same feminine voice from before mocked. "Weak and pathetic. I expected more from the bonder of Balance." A shadow emerged from Leaf's left and the woman appeared. She was grinning a deadly grin and she was holding another knife in her right hand. Leaf glared at her with a look of hate and pain. The woman only chuckled.

"Who are you?" Leaf growled, gritting her teeth. The woman raised an eyebrow.

"That is none of your concern, but I'll make an exception for you. I am Night, bonder of Destruction," the woman said. Leaf's eyes widened when she realized that her suspicion was true. Her attacker was, in fact, a bonder.

"Destruction?" Leaf wondered, trying to think of a pokemon that could cause mass destruction. Night raised her knife, readying her aim at Leaf's heart.

"Yes, and you will be the first to experience my power." The knife glowed a harsh pure black.

Leaf, helpless to do anything, turned away and closed her eyes, waiting for her end.

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><p>Serena woke up to a strange sound from a different room. It was still afternoon and sunlight still filled the guest room where she took a small nap. She stretched, loosening her muscles and made her way out of the room. When she passed by Ash's room, she heard a voice that definitely wasn't Ash's. She stopped and stepped closer to the door to Ash's room. The voice became clearer, but it was still muffled.<p>

"...come to the darkness, Ash Ketchum," Serena heard from behind the door. The voice was dark and husky and that told Serena that whoever was confronting Ash was not your average neighbor coming for a visit. The word _darkness_ sent shivers down her spine and caused fear to grow in her mind. But she couldn't let that fear get to her. Gathering her courage and burying her fear into the deepest part of her mind, she quickly opened the door...

...and she had to resist the urge to scream. Her mind went blank as fear started to overcome her mind. She couldn't utter a single word.

Ash's bed was completely empty when she was absolutely certain that Ash was lying on it. The man whose voice she heard seconds ago was nowhere to be seen. Ash wasn't in the room either. Serena could only come up with one conclusion:

The man whose voice she heard was responsible for Ash's disappearance. And it only meant danger to Ash.

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><p>Inside Ash's Aura...<p>

Both Lucario and Sir Aaron tensed when they sensed a malicious presence nearby Ash's Physical Aura. The blue environment around them dimmed and darkened. Ash came over in a hurry, noticing the situation.

"What's going on?" Ash asked. His face showed worry.

"A dark presence is nearby your Physical Aura, that is to say, your body," Sir Aaron replied, worried as well. "You must wake and fight off who or whatever is threatening your Aura."

Lucario glowed blue while he concentrated. After a few seconds, he stopped glowing and said, _'No can do. Who or whatever is out there is disrupting your Aura flow. Without a constant flow of Aura in your body, you cannot return to your Physical Aura. In other words, you cannot wake up.'_

"What?! Are you telling me that I cannot wake up and that I'm stuck here in my own mind of Mental Aura?" Ash exclaimed with fear. Lucario nodded ever so slightly. "No! There has to be a way out! Don't give up till it's over!"

Suddenly, a tremor with the strength of a moderate earthquake caused Ash, Lucario, and Sir Aaron to fall down to the ground. When the tremor stopped after a few seconds, they all got up, shaken.

"That was an Aura Shockwave," Sir Aaron realized. When he saw Ash's questioning expression, he proceeded to explain. "It's a technique of Mental Aura that is completely passive and automatic, and you cannot control it. It's a defensive measure that occurs when the Physical Aura of a body is under attack."

"Then, what is attacking my Physical Aura?" Ash asked. But before he could get an answer, all three of them doubled over in pain. "What's...happening?"

Sir Aaron spoke shakily, "Your Aura...whoever is out there...is consuming your Aura. Without your Aura...the three of us will cease to exist."

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><p>"Thunderbolt!" a firm voice commanded from nearby. Before Night could stab Leaf with her black knife, just inches away from her heart, a yellow bolt of lightning made its way towards her at extreme speeds. Direct hit.<p>

"AAHHH!" Night screamed in pain as electricity coursed through her body. She staggered backwards, dropping her knife and falling to one knee. Leaf opened her eyes in search for her savior. Her eyes widened when she realized that her savior was none other than the Lost Pokemon Master, Red.

"Pi, Charge and get ready for another Thunderbolt," he commanded. His Pikachu complied, storing electrical energy for the next attack.

"R-Red?" Leaf stuttered. She was still in pain, but Red's surprise appearance caused her to forget her wounds.

Red looked at her and saw her wounds. "Stay still, bonder of Balance. I'll take care of this."

Night recovered from her electric shock and stood up. She glared at Red with pure hate. "You dare attack me?!" she yelled in anger.

Red remained calm. He knew that negative emotions would only give his enemies the upper hand. His Pikachu growled as its cheeks sparked with electrical energy.

Night knew that she was against the odds. She huffed in defiance and black smoke swirled around her. "This isn't the end. I'll be back to finish where I left off," Night said before completely disappearing.

Leaf sighed in relief that she was out of danger for now. Now that the immediate danger has gone, she collapsed and went unconscious. Red rushed to her side, gently carried her, and ran towards the nearest Pokemon center, the one in Viridian City.

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><p>Pikachu was on high alert when he heard from Serena that Ash had been kidnapped. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Ash. He went to Ash's room for two reasons: one is for confirmation and the other was to find Ash's scent. When he arrived at the bedroom, he immediately started to track Ash's scent. Either that or the scent of the kidnapper. Both would be great leads to track down his best friend.<p>

To his disappointment, only Ash's scent was present in the room and that scent was stationary at the bed. If there wasn't any other scents, then how would he be able to find his best friend?

_'Don't give up till it's over!'_ Pikachu remembered Serena shouting at Ash during his first gym battle in Kalos. It seemed like a normal phrase to Pikachu, but it had a lot of impact on Ash. Remembering this and keeping it in thought, he didn't give up tracking down Ash's scent or the kidnapper's. He enhanced his senses to the fullest, trying to sniff out the most masked scents within the room.

_'Sniff...old socks...sniff...smoke from a broken alarm clock...sniff...ketchup? Mmm...smells delicious...No! Have to focus!..sniff...peppermint?...Ah ha! There! A recent scent!...Dark and nasty, definitely what I was looking for!'_

Pikachu was glad that he had not given up. Now, it was time to track that dark scent. But it would be difficult considering how masked the scent was. But giving up was not an option. Pikachu ran out to find Serena.

Pikachu arrived at a heartbreaking scene. Both Serena and Delia were crying, so Pikachu thought that Serena had just told Delia of Ash's disappearance. Serena noticed Pikachu.

"Pika pi! Chu pika!" Pikachu said frantically, waving his small arms and pointing to Ash's room and the front door. "Pika pikachu!"

Serena brushed away her tears and tried to understand Pikachu's gestures and words. When Pikachu pointed to his nose, she had an idea of what Pikachu was trying to say.

"Did you pick up Ash's scent?" she asked the yellow mouse. Pikachu shook his head but still pointed at his nose. Serena thought about the kidnapper. "Then did you pick up the kidnapper's scent?" Pikachu responded with frantic nodding.

Serena felt like the world was lifted from her shoulders. She still knew that Ash was in danger but hearing that Pikachu could lead her to him sent waves of relief inside her mind. Hope started to grow. Ash could be saved. And she will not give up until Ash is by her side again.

Serena looked at Pikachu with determination. Pikachu noticed this and sparked his cheeks in agreement. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go! We have to get Ash back!"

"Serena," Delia said, her voice cracking, "Please bring my son back home. I know that he gets into dangerous situations, but he always pulls through. I cannot help but worry about him. And this is no different, but he won't be able to make it out alone. Please, Serena, bring Ash back. He's not only my son but he is also the world to me."

Serena almost cried. But she shook it off and put on a determined face. If she was to succeed at getting Ash back safely, she couldn't allow fear and grief to overtake her mind. "I promise, Delia. I promise that I will bring Ash back. I won't give up until I have."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. He ran towards the front door, waiting with barely controlled anger and determination. Serena promptly followed, and out they went.

Outside, the only path outwards from Pallet Town was the path to Viridian City. It was the only place to go from here and it seemed like the right place to go. The kidnapper couldn't have gone too far anyways.

Serena and Pikachu ran towards Viridian Forest, trying to get to Viridian City as fast as possible. Although she knew that a flying type pokemon of hers could help travel the distance in a relatively short time, she could not risk the kidnapper seeing her chasing him as that would make the kidnapper hide, decreasing the chances of finding Ash.

But she could not shake off two feelings as she ran. Inside her mind, she could feel another presence, one that was not her own. It seemed peaceful, yet it was unknown to her. But the other feeling was much worse. A chill to the bone. A shiver down her spine. A sense of foreboding.

A feeling that something very bad was going to happen soon...

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><p>Leaf woke up with dull pain in her right shoulder. She remembered her battle with Night. And she also remembered Red. Struggling to get up, she winced when her dull pain intensified. When it lessened a little, she looked at her surroundings. Her right shoulder was bandaged, her blood already soaked on it. Looking around her, she knew she was in a pokemon center. Feeling a bit dizzy, she rested on her back once more. She tried to move her right shoulder to see if she could move it without too much pain. Bad idea. She hissed in pain as the pain flared to barely tolerable levels.<p>

"Don't. You'll only make it worse," a calm voice said nearby. Leaf snapped to the direction of the voice and saw Red. "Rest. You are in no condition to move about."

"Red? B-But how are you here? I thought that you had gone missing years ago," Leaf said.

"I did go missing for a reason," Red replied. "Have you ever wondered why you were bonded with Lugia?"

Leaf was surprised. "How do you know my bond? I thought I was the only one to know."

Red pulled out a pink gem from his pocket. "You see, I have a bond as well. My bond is with Mew."

Leaf was silent. Then she tried thinking of the possible bonds that could be associated with Mew. She knew that Mew was the 'New Species Pokemon', also known as the "Origin Pokemon' due to it being speculated as the ancestor of all pokemon.

Red sighed. "I am the Original Bonder. I was the one who made it possible for others to bond with other pokemon under special circumstances."

"You started the bondings?!"

"Indeed, I am the one who made it possible for others to have special bonds."

Leaf gasped. "Then, are you the one who started-"

"No," Red interrupted. "It's true that this disaster has started based on our bonds. However, I am not responsible for the danger we are in. I have the same chances of survival as you do."

"Then is it true that we are connected to the fates of our choices?" Leaf asked. She had heard about that with Lugia, but she didn't really believe it that much.

Red nodded. "Right. That is why we must choose our choices wisely. Not all good choices have good outcomes." Leaf nodded, understanding. Then she noticed Red's Pikachu curled up on the side of her bed. "You have a Pikachu just like Ash."

Red seemed deep in thought. "I guess family history does repeat from generation to generation," he whispered to himself. Leaf heard it and was confused. _'Family? I didn't know Red had a family...He didn't reveal much about himself the last time I saw him in an interview as a Pokemon Master and Champion of Kanto when I was very little.'_

"You have a family?" Leaf asked. Red snapped out of his trance and glared at Leaf. Leaf thought she had asked a very sensitive question and regretted asking.

But Red sighed. "Yes. And you know whose family I belong to."

Leaf stared at Red, confused. Then she put two and two together. Her earlier statement about Red's Pikachu, Red whispering about family, telling her that she already knew...He was right. She did know. There was only one other person she knew that Red was referring to. Her childhood friend, the one who was with her during the accident the day she got her starter pokemon.

"Are you saying that you are..." Leaf started to ask but was cut off.

"Yes. You are correct. I am Ash's father," Red replied softly.

Leaf gasped. Not because of the revelation of Red's family ties but because of the vision she had earlier. She needed to inform him about Ash's predicament!

But before she could, an explosion occurred to her left, and she was thrown off the bed.

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><p>Night was beyond furious. She had the perfect opportunity to finish off the girl with the bond of Balance but she had to be interrupted and stopped by someone else. With her anger, she blasted a tree in half with a large bolt of red lightning. She yelled in frustration.<p>

"You know, you're a sitting duck with all that useless yelling coming out of your mouth," a man's voice said behind her. Night immediately turned around and slashed with her knife. The man only sidestepped, letting Night's momentum take her down to the ground. She stood up, growling.

"You'd best tell me who you are if you value your life," she said darkly. The man only chuckled.

"Life? That means nothing to me," the man merely replied. Night raised an eyebrow. "We have something in common, sweetheart."

Night gave him a death glare. "Never call me that lest you want to be decapitated."

The man only laughed. "Spoken like a true bonder of Destruction." Night froze.

"How do you know about my bond?" she asked. She held her knife at the ready.

"As I've said just seconds ago, we have something in common."

"A bond?" The man nodded. Night's gaze darkened. "Then why can't I sense yours? Just who are you?"

The man grinned. "That is for you to figure out, but I'll give you a slight hint." He spread out his arms. "I'm not from this world."

Night was confused at the man's hint. But before she could ask for more information, the man turned and walked away. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart," he said. A bright light engulfed him for a split second and he disappeared.

Night was beyond furious at the man's repeat of _sweetheart_ directed at her. She blasted the spot where the man had been seconds ago with so much power that the resulting crater was large and deep enough for a small pond. You could say that a small meteorite decided to say hello to the Earth right there.

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><p>Leaf was not enjoying her day today. First, she sees a death vision of her childhood friend, gets intercepted and stabbed in the shoulder by a crazy woman of destruction, and now she was sprawled on the floor from the explosion that happened moments ago.<p>

Nope, not enjoyable at all.

Red stood up with his Pikachu at his side. He rushed to Leaf, picked her up, and set her down behind him. Then he turned to his Pikachu. "Pi, scout the area. We need to know who's responsible for this explosion."

"Pi!" Red's Pikachu ran towards the explosion but jumped back when a black sphere came its way. The explosion from the sphere was mild compared to the one earlier. Red readied another one of his pokeballs, in case he needed help.

"Show yourself!" Red yelled. He waited for a response. He got one. A low chuckle came from just outside the hole in the wall. The smoke was still too thick to see who was on the other side.

"Gladly," a dark voice replied, still chuckling. "You'll be in for a shock."

Within the smoke, Red and Leaf could see a silhouette of a person. Then the smoke cleared. Both Red and Leaf gasped in shock.

The person in front of them was...

"Son/Ash?" both Red and Leaf asked simultaneously.

The person was indeed Ash. But something was wrong. His eyes were dull and dark rather than the lively brown eyes that held determination and liveliness. He had a cruel smile and seemed to smirk at Red and Leaf's surprise. The strangest detail about Ash that both Red and Leaf noticed was that _he didn't have a shadow beneath him.__  
><em>

Ash chuckled once more. "Indeed it is I, Ash Ketchum," he said in a dark voice that definitely wasn't his. "But your end is here." He charged a sphere of black energy, similar to a Shadow Ball but pure black in color, and threw it.

Red and Leaf were too shocked to retaliate. They realized too late that the black sphere of dark energy was on its way to send them to their afterlives.

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><p><strong>Well, that's that. Hopefully this cliffhanger wasn't too steep. I don't want my readers to fall off the cliff and be unable to return to this story! Hang in there, literally!<strong>

**Thanks for reading Chapter 6! See you all next time!**

**Next time: Chapter 7: A Second Chance**

**Next chapter's dialogue snips:**

.-.-.-.

"Was that..."

"Aura...But how..."

.-.-.-.

"What do you mean that I have a bond?"

"It is not my place to tell you. But you will meet the one you're bonded with very soon."

.-.-.-.

"No! Hang in there! You can't die on us!"

"Please, stay with us! Don't give up till it's over!"

.-.-.-.


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